A shooting between two individuals at the Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle on Sunday evening killed three people and injured four others, including a two-year-old child, local authorities said.
Law enforcement officers arrested one suspect at the scene, while a second suspect fled and remains at large.
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Police reported that officers providing security witnessed one suspect open fire around 6 p. m.
during the final hours of the three-day event.
Authorities believe the two suspects were exchanging gunfire with each other.
Officials stated there is no active danger to the community despite one shooter still being at large, though no physical description of the fleeing suspect was immediately available.
“We’re still trying to figure this out,” said Tyrone Davis, Assistant Seattle Police Chief.
Emergency responders pronounced two victims dead at the scene, while a third victim died after being transported to a medical facility.
Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Grace Nuñez reported that the four surviving victims, including the toddler, were hospitalized in stable condition.
The violence prompted emergency crews to evacuate the Seattle Center grounds as panicked crowds sought safety in nearby structures, including the Seattle Children’s Museum.
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“We were right next to him when it started so we took off running,” said Faith Adia Hunter, a festival attendee.
She described fleeing into a building alongside a crowd after hearing gunshots near a food stand.
